limited extent, were employed in the fabrication of ornaments. Small masses of these precious metals were picked up by the natives in pockets, or gathered in the beds of streams flowing through auriferous regions, and perforated and worn as pendants. Gold beads evidently not European in their manufacture rudely hammered into round and oval shapes, with holes drilled through their centers or upper portions, have been found in the Etowah Valley, in the vicinity of the large mounds on Colonel Tumlin's plantation." In 1834, Colonels Merriwether and Lumsden, while engaged in digging a canal in Duke's-Creek Valley, unearthed a subterranean village consisting of thirty-four small cabins. . ., above these little houses. . . trees were growing from two to three feet in diameter. The estimated age of these trees was somewhat over two hundred years. In Valley-River Valley, eleven old shafts have been found, varying in depth from ninety to one hundred feet. Six miles southeast of this locality are five other shafts similar in age and construction. The presence of iron and the marks of sharp metallic tools prove that these ancient mining operations cannot be referred to the labors of the Indians." Early records state that the Indians of southeastern Kentucky in Daniel Boone's time and later, exchanged native silver with the white men in barter for other goods. Further, it is related that the silver thus obtained had been smelted or reduced into a rough bullion by a process unknown to the white men. The veins from which the silver was obtained were never located. In 1516, however, Diego Miruelo obtained a little gold from the natives, and in 1519 Pineda, who coasted along the western coast of the peninsula and along the Texan coast, reported that many of the rivers contained gold, and that the natives wore golden jewels. Pamphilo de Narvaez, who landed at Tampa Bay in 1527, reports seeing traces of gold, and was informed by the natives that it was to be found in considerable quantities in a province called Apalache.3 A Jesuit named Father Kino in 1701 revisited a station (San Dyonisius) on the Colorado River, above the mouth of the Gila, which he had established in 1700, and states in his journal that the Yuma Indians, among whom he had labored, had an abundance of ornaments and charms of gold which they obtained from washing 29. 1 Barcia, Eusaio Cronologico Año MDXVI, fol. 2. 2 Navarrette, Vol. 3, pp. 147–153. * Relation d'Alvar Nuñez Cabeca de Vaca: Ternaux-Compans, Chap. IV, p. the dirt of the hillsides on the California side, just across from the newly established station.1 The Cocopahs in lower California have had access to gold as far back as we have any record of them, which they have used as a medium of exchange in barter, also as ornaments some exceedingly rare specimens of virgin gold having been found among them." It is evident from discoveries made in the Nome region that at least a part of the fields was known prior to the advent of the American miner. Evidence exists that the gravels were worked intelligently. Extensive gravel workings seem to have been conducted at Gold Run, for in 1900 a fairly well made stone wall was encountered, which for some purpose had been built up from bed-rock, and must undoubtedly have required some engineering skill. However, this work must either have been carried on prior to the advent of the present race of people into the country, or was carried on without their knowledge, for the Esquimaux have no tradition regarding the presence of gold or strangers, at least had not mentioned it to traders as far back as 1850-70.3 That the Esquimaux knew of gold at a later date, if not before, is shown by the fact that two Laplander reindeer herders deserting from the Government station at Port Clearance in the fall of 1898, stopped with Esquimaux at Cape Rodney on their way to St. Michael. Here they saw crude golden ornaments made of nuggets, which led them to search for gold as they worked down the coast. Near the present location of Nome they discovered gold on Anvil Creek.' Regarding the occurrence of gold and silver in the northern states, especially Michigan, there is also a decided lack of definite information, although it is likely that the natives would have noticed them and made use of them sooner than might be expected of people not so familiar with native metals as were these northern tribes with copper, which occurred abundantly both in glacial drift and in veins. However, the northern Indians were not without traditions regarding the occurrence of mineral riches, but their accounts usually referred to some distant locality. Charles Whittlesey in his paper "Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior" says: 1 Min. and Sci. Press, Vol. 81, p. 280. 4 Eng. and Min. Jour., Vol. 69, p. 105. "I have listened to many wonderful tales concerning distant mineral riches. An aged Chippeway, by the name of Kimdickan, whom I met on the Ontonagon in 1845, stated that as he was one day sailing along the western shore of the Gogebic (or Akogebe) Lake, at the head of the west branch of the river, he heard an explosion on the face of a rocky cliff that overlooked the water, and saw pieces of something fall at a distance from him, both in the lake and on the beach. When he had found some of them, they proved to be a white metal, like 'Shuneaw' (money), which the white man gave to the Indians at La Pointe." 1 Father Jacker, a priest who made diligent search into traditions of the inhabitants regarding the early miners of Lake Superior, found but one Indian, John Metakosigo ("the smoker of pure tobacco") who seemed to know the identity of these early workers. He stated that it was Gete Wemitogojiwag, i.e., "the people possessed of wooden boats," which would apply equally to the French and Canadians. It has, however, been pointed out that they could hardly have been responsible for the workings, owing to the large accumulations of débris in them, together with the extensive growth of timber. Furthermore, the masses of copper they extracted from the pits could hardly have been transported in the light Indian canoes of to-day. There might, however, have been another people possessed of wooden boats, known to the ancestors of the present Indians; when and why they left these shores is idle to conjecture, but it was probably at least four hundred years ago. If this is true there is little wonder that traditions are scarce and fragmentary.2 Naturally, most of their legends related to copper, but as Mr. Whittlesey points out, this was considered more as a god (a sacred Manitou) than an object of daily use. Further, they had a "superstitious dread" of revealing the locality of mineral bodies to foreigners, evidently fearing the wrath of the gods. "If the Indians possessed traditions from their ancestors relating to ancient mines, or the people who worked them, those must also have come to the ears of the Jesuits. It also seems to be highly improbable that their ancestors either knew of ancient mines, not worked by themselves, or the people who wrought them. Tradition is the only history of savage nations, and the fault of this species 1 Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Vol. 13, p. 2. 2 American Journal of Mining, Vol. 1, p. 297. of knowledge is not in the absence, but in the excess of materials, such as they are.' Probably the first mention of the discovery of native copper is made in the "Relations de ce que s'est passe de plus remarquable aux Missions des peres de la compagnie de Jesus au la Nouvelle France" for 1659-60, which cites the report of an Indian, named Awatanick, who had journeyed from Green Bay to Lake Superior in 1658. He says: "that its borders were enriched with lead minerals and copper of such excellent quality that it is already reduced in pieces as large as the fist. There may also be seen rocks which contain large veins of turquoise" (green silicate of copper).2 Mention is made in the same connection" of the existence of gold on St. Joseph's island, and that the rivers of Lake Superior bring down grains of gold." It is evident from the above that the scant amount of legendary information we have is limited to that portion of the United States now composed of the coastal and bounding states, the fringe, as it were, of a vast country, the interior inhabitants of which were wholly ignorant of the presence of the precious metals. What metals they had in their possession and their knowledge of them seems easily traceable to a few of the principal localities where such metals are now known to exist and usually lie in this bordering zone. Masses of native copper with pieces of native silver attached have been found in the mounds of the Mississippi valley, which would. seem to indicate that the Indians were not acquainted with methods of treating metal other than by pounding or hammering them. If melted, the silver and copper would form an alloy. Dr. John Locke, of Cincinnati, had such a piece of copper which had been flattened by hammering, yet still showed the native silver.3 Arkansas is situated far enough south to have felt the influence of the Spanish invasion, and it is probably largely due to the legends regarding the early workings of the Spaniards that prospecting and mining have been so persistently prosecuted a charm, as it were, being lent to the search for the precious metals in a most unlikely 1 Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Vol. 13, pp. 2 and 3. ' Report of the Geology and Topography of a Portion of the Lake Superior Land District in the State of Michigan, by J. W. Foster and J. D. Whitney, Doc. No. 69, p. 10, 1850. Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Vol. 13, p. 27. locality, which has, however, been largely dispelled by subsequent explorations. Early History. In the following accounts of the early discovery of gold and silver in the United States no attempt is made to group the history of the various sections into contemporaneous periods, but rather to make a more or less arbitrary division in time between what may be considered legendary and early history as the beginning, and certain dates made prominent by the occurrence of some important event, as the close of the early history and the opening up of a new chapter of recent history. Further, the events will be given in chronological order rather than by localities or states, owing to the more or less interrelated occurrence of events, requiring the constant reference to and remention of various localities in the same general region. The more trustworthy reports regarding the presence of gold in that portion of North America now occupied by the United States antedate its colonization, as is shown by the following account by localities. The East and Southeast The Southern Appalachian States. The first authentic statement relative to the presence of gold is that on June 4, 1513, while Ponce de Leon lay off the coast of Florida, he was informed that a cacique at no great distance contained some gold. In 1516 and 1519, Diego Miruelo and Pineda reported the presence of gold and the fact that some the was secured latter especially while cruising along the western side of Florida and along the Texan coast. In 1527 Pamphilo de Narvaez reports seeing gold and hearing that its source was the Apalache province. In 1539, Hernando de Soto landed at Tampa Bay. He made extensive search for gold as the numerous relics of his fortifications and exploratory works indicate. The Chattahoochee River, "so called in the Cherokee tongue from rubies being found in its sands," was probably his western base of supplies while on his conquering march through the Creek, Seminole and Cherokee nations. The Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers, as well as other streams traversing the gold belt, have been productive of many and quite extensive auriferous gravel deposits. It is therefore rather surprising that De Soto did not find more of the golden wealth that he sought, unless, as has been suggested, "the narrative of his expedition shows that he was too busily occupied with obtaining supplies and his 1 Herrera, Dec. 1, Book 9, Chap. V. |